


say you’ll stay with me tonight

by blue_sherbet



Series: nova scotia orphanage au [2]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, An AU where Anne and Gil grow up in the orphanage together, And Baby Gilbert trying and failing to be a tough guy, Anne and Gilbert have the cutest little friendship, Childhood Friends, F/M, Feat. Baby Anne being adorable, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 15:10:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21120824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_sherbet/pseuds/blue_sherbet
Summary: “Gilbert?”“Gil? Where are you?”It’s late at night, Gilbert’s nowhere to be found and Anne’s worried.





	say you’ll stay with me tonight

**Author's Note:**

> this is the second part of my nova scotia orphanage au. it _can_ be read as stand alone fic but it’ll probably make a bit more sense if you read part one (“i feel okay when i see you smile”) first.
> 
> thank you all so much for the love on pt. 1! i received a few different requests for another part...so here it is! this takes place a few months after the first.
> 
> also, due to some constructive criticism i received, i made a real effort to try and make anne and gilbert behave/speak like actual children, as they were sounding a bit too grown up last time! please let me know how i did! and don’t be afraid to leave more constructive criticism. so long as you do it nicely like that person did i truly appreciate it! it helps me improve :D
> 
> [note: i’m not from the u.s so any strange spellings are more than likely just how we spell them where i live. any actual spelling mistakes are on me though, as i don’t have a beta reader.]
> 
> enjoy!

Anne sped across the grey, shadowy grounds of the orphanage, leaves crunching under her too-small boots as she ran.

Weaving through a patch of nearby trees, she stopped for a moment to cup her hands to her mouth and call into the wind.

“Gilbert?” 

No one answered.

Anne sighed and continued on her way. 

It was nearing sundown, Gilbert was nowhere to be found and Anne was getting more and more worried.

She hadn’t seen the boy since lunch, having been kept busy with chores for most of the afternoon. She hadn’t the time, nor the opportunity, to notice her friend had been missing until the nurses had started bustling around, snapping and scowling as they began gathering the children to prepare for bed.

Knowing there would be a heavy price to pay if somebody found out that Gilbert had skipped afternoon chores, Anne had immediately slipped away in search of him.

She checked his dorm, as well as those belonging to the other orphans she knew he was on friendly terms with. She then scoured the attic, the rarely used schoolroom, the dining hall and the kitchen. She had even risked poking her head into the old, rundown parlour that the children were strictly forbidden from entering.

After being chased from one of the dormitories by a particularly nasty group of lads, nimbly zipping past them and shooting down the stairs, she had finally decided to take her hunt outdoors.

The orphans weren’t usually allowed to roam outside of the building without permission, especially on dark, but Anne knew that if she asked she’d either be ignored altogether or interrogated until she told the nurses why she wanted to go out so late in the day. That would only result in both her _and_ Gilbert being punished, which would be no good at all.

So, heart pounding in her chest and praying she wouldn’t be caught, she’d crept past the squeaky front door and into the cool evening air.

Fifteen minutes later and Anne had yet to make any progress.

“Gil? Where are you?” She yelled again.

Still there was no reply.

She grumbled to herself, rubbing her nose. It was beginning to run from the cold.

It was quickly becoming apparent that Gilbert was a better hider than she’d anticipated. 

This came as somewhat of a surprise to her as they’d played hide ‘n’ seek numerous times before and she’d always managed to find him with relative ease.

It occurred to her now that there was a possibility he’d been letting her win by purposefully hiding in unchallenging places.

She huffed. The thought made her a bit cross. She didn’t _need_ anyone to go easy on her. She wasn’t a baby anymore. She was seven, practically all grown up!

An icy breeze chilled her skin as it whistled loudly in her ears.

She shivered. On second thought, perhaps she would appreciate a hint or two.

The sky had really started to go dark now. The nurses would soon notice that Anne and Gilbert were missing, assuming they hadn’t already.

_Maybe he isn’t even outside._ She thought. _Maybe he’s inside after all, wondering where **I** am._

Anne sighed in frustration. That would be just her sort of luck, wouldn’t it?

She was just about to give up and head back when she finally spotted him. 

He was sitting at the base of a tree, chin rested on his knees and wild curls bouncing in the wind.

“Gilbert,” she breathed, relief flooding her as she padded up behind him.

He didn’t turn around as she approached, staring out into the gloomy yard with wide, glassy eyes.

He jumped when he felt her presence beside him.

“Anne!” He yelped. “You scared me! I thought you were Nurse Martha.”

Anne scowled at him. Now she knew he was alright she was confronted with a sudden feeling of irritation.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” She scolded with childish anger. “You’ve been gone _ages_. We’re gonna be in so much trouble if the nurses find out.”

Gilbert ignored her complaints. 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people, y’know. ‘S not nice.” He told her, voice shaky as he scrubbed at his eyes furiously.

It was then Anne noticed his cheeks were wet and tracked with tears. 

Her expression instantly softened. “Gil? What’s wrong? Why’re you crying?”

Gilbert shook his head, turning away slightly and running the back of his arm across his face.

“‘M not cryin’.” He mumbled.

“Yes you are.” Anne said bluntly.

She sat down beside him, wriggling close so that their arms were nearly touching. She asked again, voice gentle. “What’s wrong? I’m your best friend...you can tell me anything, ‘member?”

“It’s dumb.” Gilbert insisted.

Anne grabbed his face between her palms, forcing him to stare into her own serious little one. “It’s not dumb if it makes you sad.”

Gilbert considered her words for a moment. He bit his lip and glanced away from her. “I just...I just miss my dad, y’know?” 

Anne was flabbergasted. “Why would you think that’s dumb? Of course you miss him, he’s your dad!”

“It’s dumb ‘cos I don’t even know _why_ I miss him.” Gilbert explained, frustrated. Anne knew the sour tone wasn’t directed at her. “I was _fine_ this morning but then...I don’t even know what happened! I just-“

“Gilbert,” Anne interrupted. “You don’t _need_ a reason to miss him.” When Gilbert didn’t look convinced, she continued. “I miss my mommy and daddy all the time ‘n’ I never even knew ‘em. Does that make me silly?”

“No,” Gilbert said immediately, as she knew he would.

She smiled. “See? You’re not dumb for missing your daddy, Gil. All of us do, even the meanies like Katie Smith. I heard her crying in her bed just last night, when she thought the rest of us girls were asleep.”

Gilbert opened his mouth only to immediately snap it shut again. After a few moments of quiet, he sniffled and the tears started to fall.

Anne didn’t hesitate as she moved to wrap her arms around him, hugging him tight.

“‘S okay,” she murmured in his ear as he sobbed.

They stayed like that until he began to calm down, at which point Anne asked, “want me to tell you a story?”

She knew that Gilbert, unlike most people, enjoyed her wild, imaginative tales.

Often when Anne was teary or having a bad day he’d ask her to make one up for him. Distracting herself with her imagination always made her feel better. She thought perhaps it might help cheer him up too.

Gilbert nodded, hiccuping. “M’kay, Anne-girl.” 

Anne rested her her chin on his shoulder. He tilted his head so that his temple was pressed against the top of her bright red hair.

Once they were comfortable, she began. Her voice was quiet and thoughtful. 

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess and her best friend...a knight in shining armour. They lived in big castle all by themselves, ‘cos they didn’t need anyone else, just each other. One day, they had to slay a _ginormous_ dragon. The dragon was trying to burn their castle to the ground and...”

Anne knew that later they’d be caught and punished, but at that moment she couldn’t really bring herself to care. 

And so they stayed, curled up at the base of that tree, noses red from the cold, as Anne imagined up all sorts of adventures for the beautiful princess and her knight in shining armour.

**Author's Note:**

> i tried really, really hard to keep both anne and gil in character even though they’re super close and quite young compared to canon.  
i’m not sure how well it came off though.
> 
> let me know if you guys would be up for another part!
> 
> (also: episode 5 was crazy! that dance scene was everything! e v e r y t h i n g!! did you SEE the way he twirled her?!)
> 
> [title from walk me home by p!nk]


End file.
